SC to Hear on Monday Petitions Seeking CBI Probe into Ram Temple Fund Embezzlement, Protection of Records

NEW DELHI, July 10: A three-judge Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant is scheduled to hear on Monday separate petitions seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe and protection of electronic evidence in the Ram Temple donation fund embezzlement case.

The SC re-opens on Monday after summer vacation.

The summer vacations had seen multiple petitions filed and orally mentioned before Vacation Benches in the top court in connection with the Ayodhya Ram Temple fund embezzlement. A petition filed by Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Sudhakar Singh to provide and publish complete financial details of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, including foreign contributions, is listed along with two other petitions on Monday.

Mr Singh had sought the court to direct the Trust to prepare and produce a complete statement of donations of cash, bank transfers, digital payments, foreign contributions, gold, silver and other valuables, together with the particulars of their accounting, custody, and usage since its inception.

The RJD MP has submitted that it was of “exceptional public importance” that the truth comes out in the case. “The preservation of public confidence in one of the most revered religious institutions of the country, and the need for constitutional safeguards to ensure that the ongoing investigation into allegations concerning the handling of devotees’ offerings must be fair, independent, and inspire the confidence of the nation,” the petition said.

The petition has also urged the court to order the preservation of physical, electronic, and digital records, including books of accounts, cash books, ledgers, vouchers, bank records, UPI and other digital payment records, CCTV footage, electronic devices, servers, emails, and every other record relating to the receipt, custody, accounting, and utilization of donations and offerings received by the Trust in order to ensure that no material evidence was destroyed, altered, or tampered with during the course of investigation.

Mr Singh has sought a comprehensive forensic audit of the accounts, donations, bank transactions, and financial records of the Trust through an independent agency of unquestionable credibility. He said the report must be submitted in the Supreme Court. He said the proper accounts on the donations and offerings received must be published at regular intervals to ensure complete transparency.

Supreme Court advocate NK Goswami’s petition, also listed for hearing on Monday focused on the protection of electronic evidence like CCTV footage which could be “quietly lost,” erased, overwritten, or corrupted in the coming days. “Electronic evidence is unlike a stone inscription,” Mr Goswami submitted.

The third petition, jointly filed by advocates Ajay Kumar Rai and Dinesh Kumar Yadav, has urged the top court to either order a CBI probe or appoint a multi-disciplinary Special Investigation Team in the case.

Meanwhile, a high drama unfolded in the Supreme Court on Friday when a man, appearing as a petitioner-in-person, verbally abused the CJI, threw papers in the courtroom and was escorted out by security personnel after disrupting proceedings.

The incident took place around 11 am before a partial working-day Bench of Justices KV Viswanathan and Alok Aradhe. The petitioner, identified as Prabal Pratap, appeared before the Bench and introduced himself as “the sovereign.” Addressing the judges as “judicial servants,” he said, “Mr Judicial Servant, I order you to order the registration of an FIR against the ASP, Lucknow, for running a syndicate in cybercrime.”

A surprised Justice KV Viswanathan asked him in disbelief, “You are ordering me? You are ordering us?” However, the petitioner then began abusing the Chief Justice of India and threw papers into the air, disrupting the hearing. Court security personnel intervened immediately and escorted him out of the courtroom. He was then detained in the DSP’s office inside the courtroom for some time.

Despite the disruption, the Bench decided not to initiate contempt or any other coercive proceedings against the petitioner. Pronouncing the order, Justice Viswanathan said, “We do not propose to take any action against him. As far as the merits of the case are concerned, we have perused the records. We find no good grounds to interfere with the impugned order. The Special Leave Petition is dismissed.”

The judge later remarked, “He is very disturbed… it’s all frustration. We only have sympathies for him.” The Supreme Court Arguing Counsel Association wrote to Chief Justice Surya Kant, seeking “strong and strict action” against those involved in the commotion.

The petitioner had challenged an Allahabad High Court order that dismissed his writ petition against a decision of the Special Chief Judicial Magistrate (Customs), Lucknow. The magistrate had directed that his application be treated as a private complaint instead of ordering registration of an FIR. The Allahabad High Court held that the petitioner had an effective alternative remedy against the trial court’s order and granted him liberty to approach the appropriate forum. Finding no reason to interfere with the High Court’s decision, the Supreme Court dismissed the Special Leave Petition, bringing the matter to a close.

(Rohit Kumar)